Life's a Game
by tippytoes
Summary: AU. Kai's a phoenix demon whose pack was killed. Rei's a tiger demon looking for food. Their pass cross and sparks fly...or will they be eaten first? ReiKaiR&R! Hiatus
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't know anything, not even the idea. Somebody else does.  
  
~~~~~~~~Life's a Game  
  
Prologue  
  
A blue and red blur flashed through the forest trees, followed by a white stripe. Clearly, the stripe is much faster than the blur. Soon, the stripe was in front of the blur, blocking his path and revealing their true selves. The blur was a young Phoenix Demon, a beauty. His features resemble a human, except for those crimson wings on his back. Light blue hair in the front and dark blue in the back swayed in the cold wind. Grey eyes looked at the other demon with coldness, and nothing else. White scarf, black armguards and tank top with golden rims, and baggy dark pants. And on his forehead, was a ruby about the size of a coin, and rimmed with gold. In this gem, fire burned. This, is the reflection of his emotions. His hand was resting on the tilt of the sword on his side, he was ready to fight.  
  
In front of him, was what seems to be a bat demon. Fangs peeking out through his lips, and small, black bat wings on his back. A long, slender tale swayed back and fourth with excitement. His clothes were white, all white. White jacket and pants, barely suitable for such a hateful creature. A grin spread on his face and his black eyes narrowed beneath the silver bangs as he watched the kid in front of him tense.  
  
"Well, young Kai," the bat said with a poisoned and cold voice, "we meet again. What a coincidence."  
  
'Coincidence?!' the phoenix, Kai, thought bitterly, 'you were stalking me!' but he replied with the same coldness, "What do you want, Kuroi?"  
  
"YOU!" the bat demon, Kuroi, shouted and lunged at Kai with his killer claw ready to strike. Kai unsheathed his sword and quickly dodged to the right, but not quick enough. Kuroi's claw dug into the pale flesh of Kai's left arm as blood seeped out. He hissed in pain but used a counter attack with his sword. Kuroi didn't see this coming, and was stabbed in the back, literally. He only gasped, and his eyes widened, for he was too shocked to say anything. He had underestimated the young Phoenix.  
  
Kai pulled his sword out and Kuroi fell to the ground. He quickly climbed to his feet and batted his wings, "I'll be back Kai, I'll be back very soon," he threatened and quickly flew away, disappearing into the shadows of the forest. Kai dropped his sword and fell on his knees, right hand holding his wounded arm. The wound was still bleeding heavily and his breathing was ragged and shallow. A wave of pain washed over his body as he closed his eyes and waited for it to pass.  
  
The phoenix used his sword to help him stand up, and he was leaning on it quite heavily. After a few shaky steps he fell limply on the cold forest floor. His vision blurred as he looked up in the serene sky. He closed his eyes, and the flames in the ruby dimmed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
This sucks, I know. But the next chapter will be longer. Please review and tell me what you think. Should I just leave it here? I just wrote this for fun, but REVIEW! 


	2. Chapter 1

Special thanks to:  
  
devilburns- Sorry for not updating in so long, stupid writer's block.  
  
Memex101- Yay! You like this fic!  
  
Goddess of the Gods- hehe didn't know they have McDonald commercials here on ff.net! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
keisan- yup, patience for the rest will be rewarded. Rei makes his appearance in this chapter.  
  
chibi-kai-fan- hope you liked! And I'm continuing! Yay!  
  
Sakuracc87- glad that you want me to continue!  
  
tenshiamanda- thanks!  
  
The tigris- glad to know that you like this story!  
  
Blue Eyed Angel2- I'm sure that your comic/doujinshi would be very interesting! And glad to know that you like this story so far!  
  
Dark-anime-slave- thanks!  
  
Bonnie aka the asakura gang- Rei's going to show up, don't worry, we'd never leave him out!  
  
Crazy- Yes, I mentioned a 'next chapter', so here it is! And yes, the muse has finally stopped lacking off on her job!  
  
Sorry for not updating in a while, didn't really know what to write. And this is a bit short, and I apologize for that!  
  
~*.*~ Chapter One  
  
A young Tiger Demon crept out of his pack's cave and turned around. His long raven hair was tied by a white cloth. He wore a red bandanna with a yin/yang symbol. 'Wow, I woke up early today.' Golden eyes scanned the trees for any signs of movement, seeing none, he took off into the trees.  
  
Not long after, his nose picked up a scent. Blood. He grinned and his fang sparkled in the dim light shining through the thick tree tops. In this forest, fresh meat doesn't come easy. Demons either eat other demons, or other animals, who were fast and hard to find. And when you're taking down another demon, it takes strength, power, and skills. He stopped and sniffed the air. He followed his nose and walked through the forest. 'Hm,' he thought, 'smells like a demon, I better call the others if it's still alive.' He continued walking, and came to a clearing. Quickly hiding behind a boulder, Rei followed the demon with his eyes.  
  
Bat Demon, Rei have heard of them before. They were vicious, powerful, and skilled, but mostly impatient. This one must have been in a battle, for something seemed to have gone right through him. He licked his lips, he was starving. He was also lucky, it's not everyday a free meal comes knocking on your door. Rei have never tasted, or even seen, a bat demon before. 'This is going to be good,' he thought. Now, all he has to do, is wait.  
  
The Bat Demon limped and batted his wings, but was too weak to lift himself up. Soon, he gave up and fell to the ground. The time has come, Rei came out of his hiding place, claws ready just in case, and advanced on his prey.  
  
When the Bat Demon saw Rei, he opened his eyes, but was too weak to do anything for he has lost too much blood. Circling his prey cautiously, making sure he won't fight back, Rei went for the kill.  
  
Rei's claw headed for the neck, and with one final shriek, the Bat Demon's eyes closed forever, and his pulse stopped. Rei smiled, this was the easiest kill of the month. Though Rei didn't like digging his claw through other's bodies and eating their flesh, he has to eat, or be eaten. When he was young, he tried to eat plants, but they tasted nasty, so he gave up on that. Eggs? They could barely fill his stomach. So, he went back to meat. And Rei dug in.  
  
When he was eating the Bat Demon's claw, which was covered with blood, a different taste filled his mouth. Then he realized the blood was another demon's. 'Hm, maybe the other one's dead,' he thought, 'then I can fill the other's stomachs too.'  
  
He looked back at the half eaten demon. His stomach was half full, but he was afraid that if he doesn't chase after the other one, the other would get away, then his pack will have to find other food, which will be hard. Or if that demon was already dead, others might get to him before Rei. It was a hard decision, and Rei didn't want to leave this catch, it was definitely delicious, and other lower life formed animals would get to it before he comes back.  
  
Rei growled out in frustration, and decided that he'll stay with his lunch.  
  
"Hey there Rei!" the Tiger heard someone call out. He stopped eating and wiped away the blood on his face with the back of his hand as he looked around for the voice. His face lid up as he saw the rest of his pack, Mariah, Lee, Kevin, and Gary, running toward him.  
  
"Hey guys!" Rei greeted back, he pointed at the dead Bat Demon's half finished body and continued, "you guys can finish this thing up, I'm not hungry anymore."  
  
"Thanks man! Wow, a Bat!" Exclaimed Kevin, "Those are rare!"  
  
Rei smiled. "Hey, who said you could hunt without us, Rei?" Lee joked.  
  
Rei chuckled and told them that there's another wounded demon around and if he can find that demon, they'd be full until next week. And after promising that he would call them when the other prey was found, once again, he set out for the woods.  
  
Rei sniffed the damp air, catching a small scent like the one on the Bat Demon's claw. Grinning, Rei ran faster toward the source of the blood. He stopped when he came to a puddle of crimson liquid.  
  
In this puddle of blood, was a creature with crimson wings. Not many creatures had wings, not to say crimson ones. Blood soaked his clothes, causing them to cling to his slender form.  
  
Rei noticed that the winged demon had two shades of blue hair, his eyes closed and his face showed that he was in pain. 'What kind of bird is this?' He asked himself as he cautiously walked next to the defenseless creature.  
  
'Hm,' Rei thought as he examined the demon's handsome face and traced the rim of the gem on his forehead, 'a ruby...?'  
  
He frowned as he tried to find the source of the scent of blood that overwhelmed his sensitive nose. Flipping the creature so he was lying on his back, Rei saw that his left arm was injured and bleeding rapidly.  
  
'Shit. I have to stop the bleeding, or he's going to die.' Deciding that he wouldn't waste this beautiful yet mysterious creature as a snack, Rei picked the wounded demon up in his arms, careful not to hurt the wings sprouting from his back. A whimper escaped from the Phoenix as he was lifted up. Taking one more look at the figure in his arms, Rei started home, wondering what he was going to tell his pack and friends.  
  
'I'm glad I woke up early today,' was his last thought as he sprinted through the trees and to his cave to treat the Phoenix.  
  
~*.*~  
  
Well, that was shorter than I thought. But it was six pages out of my notebook. Review and tell me what you think!  
  
By the way, does anyone know how to make Italic text on fanfiction.net? Please tell me in a review or through e-mail! 


	3. Chapter 2 Awakening

**Author's Notes**: I am still alive! Sorry for not updating in such a long time! I really had a bad case of writer's block, and it was really annoying. This chapter hasn't been beta-d, and I tried to catch as many mistakes as I could. Please tell me if there's something wrong with this chapter! Also, a warning, characters in this fic are really out of character! I haven't watched Beyblade in a LONG time, and I really am not all that good with animal behavior so please bare with me! 

Thanks to the following people for their reviews!

**The Hands of Fate and Destiny**-hehe, that's for reviewing for so many times! Here's the next chapter! I hope you're happy with it! If not, just tell me.

**Bffimagine**-I'll review your story too when you update!

**YaoiYaoiYeah**-huggles

**phoenixflame-905**-thanks, hope you enjoy!

**devilburns-**sorry for not updating in so long, but here it is, the next chapter!

**'elsu-**thank you, thank you!

**Aquila**-thanks for reviewing! Hehe, I'm not really sure _what_ my writing tells about my character.

**fluffys-sidekick**-thank you! Hope you enjoy this chapter too!

**tntiggris-**yeah, but now changed their updating system, so bold and italic are easier to do . Thanks for the review!

**dark-anime-slave**- hehe, thanks. So hot XD

**yaoi-youkai**-thank you thank you thank you!

**Goddess of the Gods**- yay! Hope you _still_ would like this fix! I'm not really sure why Kai's wings are red, but it just kinda popped into my head at that time, probably because of Dranzer.

**Donkey-Chic**- yeah, there's only 2 chapters, but now there's 3! Yay! Thanks for the review!

**Lilmatchgirl-**thanks! I don't really think everyone have jewels on the heads, just Kai. Hehe, coz he's special.

**Keisan**-yeah, the animal parts are a bit off. But hey, a girl can dream. Thanks for the review!

**eimin eikyu**- sorry about the updating speeds, I'm a really slow writer sob. Thanks for you review!

"Talking." 

'_Thoughts'_

**Chapter 2 – Awakening**

Rei walked around close to his and the pack's cave, looking for herbs that may help the winged creature that is currently lying unconscious on his bed. The tiger demon sighed when the thought of the duo-haired phoenix came to his mind.

'_I don't even know what he is, for God's sake_._ And he's so much trouble. I should have just left him there_.' Rei shuddered. In his heart, Rei knew he wouldn't have left the thought-to-be-extinct creature to die. _'And Lee's going to be so mad when he comes back._'

The rest of his pack was probably finishing their last prey. Rei almost puked when he thought of eating another demon., since his stomach is no longer growling with hunger. Just a few years ago, he never thought of eating another demon, only low-life animals that littered the forest floors. But these days, you can barely find the kind of animals he used to have fed off of. So, to insure their survival, demons began to hunt each other, and the weak soon died off.

Having been so lost in thoughts, Rei momentarily forgotten why he was out here. A crow's cry, however, snapped him out of his own little world. Rei blinked, and went on with his search for the herbs.

Entering the cave, Rei set the few useful herbs he gathered in a neat pile by the foot of the bed. He once again stared at the beautiful demon for what seemed to be the thousandth time that day. His bangs covered almost half of this face, framing its delicate structure. Dried blood was still crusted all over his form; his clothes, his hair, everywhere. Rei was afraid to touch the fragile creature, afraid to hurt him even more.

'_But,'_ Rei thought to himself, _'I really should get that wound cleaned quick before it gets infected._'

Taking the herbs and, after mixing it with some water he found in a rather clean spring in the back of the cave, the tiger demon put it in a dried-mud bowl and started to grind it. While he was working, Rei thought about what would happen when Lee and the others come back. Even though Rei didn't mean to, a laugh bubbled up his throat when he imagined the look that would be on Lee's face.

'_I bet his face would be red.'_ Rei mused. A small moan from his 'bed' pulled him out of his thoughts.

Rei held his breath as the wounded creature on the bed opened his beautiful but unfocused, large ruby eyes. The winged demon blinked in the dim light from the entrance of the cave before moaning again. The voice sounded wonderful to Rei's fury ears. All thoughts about the rest of the pack was blown out of his head as he watched the gorgeous creature before him looking around, blinking, and just breathing. A blush crept onto the tiger demon's face; he has never seen anything more beautiful.

Suddenly, those unfocused ruby eyes snapped fully open and their owner bolted up, only to cry out in pain and fall back onto the hard and rough surface of the bed.

Rei was snapped out of his daze and reacted immediately, his quick reflexes allowed him to move next to the bed in merely a blink of the eye and wound his arm around the winged creature's shoulders, supporting him and preventing him from hitting the hard bed and hurting himself even more.

Kai bit his lips to stop the whimper of pain from escaping his lips as the stranger helped him lean against what seemed to be the cold wall of some sort of cave. The phoenix closed his eyes and placed his heavy and throbbing head back on the cool surface, resting his sore neck. He silently cursed his headache and tried to will the dizziness away.

It was then that he remembered his battle with Kuroi, the bat demon.

"No!" Rei was surprised when the duo haired demon jerked away. "Get away!" The tiger demon was so enchanted by the other's bell-like voice that he just stared as the said creature scuttled away from him and toward the cold wall of the cave on the other side, away from Rei.

The phoenix pressed himself into the wall, hugging his legs to his chest and burying his head into his knees, shivering and shaking from both the cold and pain.

For a minute, there was silence. Rei's furry ears twitched when he heard footsteps coming toward them from far away and smelled the scent of his pack.

'_Oh man,'_ Rei thought and noticed that the phoenix has become motionless, his knuckles white from clutching his knees.

After carrying the winged creature back to his cave, Rei ripped a strip of his shirt in a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, which it did. But before he had time to properly wash and dress the would or apply the herbs he has found to prevent infection, the subject of his thoughts and attention has waken up and is now cowering in a corner of the cave away from him. And to make things worse, his pack draws closer and closer by the minute.

The tiger demon knew there was no way to hide the winged demon. The scent of his blood was too strong and his pack mates probably already knew that an intruder, bleeding intruder, is in their cave.

Turning to the other demon (who was still cowering), Rei whispered softly and tried to sound as least intimidating as he could, "It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you or anything." Kai looked up at him, and suddenly, Rei was captured by those beautiful ruby orbs. "Just wait right here," he stared at those eyes for a few more seconds before breaking their gaze and darting out the cave to meet up with the rest of the pack. Hopefully, he can persuade Lee, the leader, to not kill this exotic creature, who was now alone in the cave.

(With 'the rest of the pack')

"Lee! Calm down! We've just had such a luxurious meal provided for us by my dear, dear Rei, and now you're all grumpy!" Mariah whined, "What's your problem anyway?"

"I smell it. There's some _thing_ in _my_ cave! And it smells like a demon!" Lee leaped from one tree to another. The only safe way to travel these days was through the think trees, or, if you're lucky enough to have wings, the sky. "Rei's with it, I just know."

The rest of the traveling pack grew silent. Lee had keener senses; that was why they choose him to be the leader. Without another word, they followed thei leader back to their cave.

They were halfway there when they saw a familiar figure approaching from the direction they were heading for.

"Rei!" Mariah glomped their pig-tailed companion, catching him by surprise and almost making him fall over. The rest of the group stopped. Lee pulled Mariah away from Rei and turned to him, eyes blazing.

"What is the meaning of this!" he hissed.

Rei knew Lee knew about the new demon. He also knew that it would be futile to deny anything. "He's not hostile! He was wouldn't and would have died..."

"Since when have we started to care if other demons die?" Lee cut him off, "You are not to bring _pets_ back and you know that! A hungry predator can smell the blood miles away and you're putting us all in danger!"

"He had feathered wings, Lee! We all know that bird demons are rare and almost extinct! He could be of use to us and..."

"Bird demons _are_ extinct. You must have been mistaken." The tone in their leader's voice left no place for argument. But then again, Rei was never the one to back down from anything.

"Then see for yourself!"

"Rei," Mariah tried to stop the two, "Just leave it..."

"No! I'll show you all that he is worth it!" With that, Rei dashed off, grumbling to himself.

"Come on," Lee said to the rest of the pack, "Let's go home and meet his litter _lover_."

"Lover!" Mariah gasped.

Lee was silent for a moment. "Kidding, Mariah, I was kidding."

Reaching their cave, they were met with a big surprise. There was no bird demon. Only Rei, looking behind and under rocks, calling: "Come on! Come out, please! I won't hurt you! You'll strain your wound! Please come out!"

"He was definitely here," Lee sniffed around, "his scent is everywhere. But he's gone now."

"Get over it, Rei," Mariah spoke with a hint of jealousy. How can a stranger be HER Rei's lover (even though it was just a joke)? "He ran away and won't ever be coming back. It's better for all of us this way."

(Somewhere in the Forest)

The subject of Rei's search limped through the forest. His surroundings were unfamiliar to him, but he was not lost.

'_No, I have to go now, it's calling to me...'_ The wound on Kai's arm had reopened, and blood flowed freely down his arm, leaving behind a trail of blood. His ankle was sprained from when he clumsily tripped over a tree root not long before he left the cave of that stranger. But he couldn't care less; the gem on his forehead was blinking, faster and faster. He was getting closer.

Black spots began to dance in eyes. _'No, just a little more...'_ His knees finally gave out beneath him, leaving the demon lying on the ground.

'_Oh well, just a few more minutes shouldn't hurt...'_ His eyes slowly flickered shut, as the light from the ruby on his forehead faded away once again.

**Author's Notes**: Hope you liked this chapter! Please, please, please, please review and tell me what you think! Reviews inspire me and make me update faster!


End file.
